


Steve Has a Crush

by avxry



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Cigarettes, Drinking, Flirting, Kissing, M/M, No Spoilers, Parties, Post S2, Showers, Swearing, brief use of the word "faggot", dustin is a peach, mama Steve, seriously dustin is such a doll i love him very much, steve is my smol bean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2019-02-03 12:14:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12748098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avxry/pseuds/avxry
Summary: Steve wonders how he could possibly have been so in love with Nancy just to lose those feelings a few months after they break up.He figures it has something to do with Hargrove. That seems to be a pattern, these days.





	Steve Has a Crush

**Author's Note:**

> this was supposed to be a quick little fic that i wrote to get back in the swing of writing and kind of feel out the characters, but it ended up being 9 full pages. so yeah. hope y'all enjoy.

Steve wants to say that he’s still hung up on Nancy; she was the first real love of his life. There were girls before, sure, but Nancy had been the only girl who seemed like  _ the one _ . So yeah, of course, he offends himself a little when he realizes that he’s pretty much moved on. 

It took a while, yeah, but it happened sooner than he would have expected, and he feels bad about it. Steve wonders how he could possibly have been so in love with Nancy just to lose those feelings a few months after they break up.

He figures it has something to do with Hargrove. That seems to be a pattern, these days. 

Steve doesn’t like to admit it, but he doesn’t really have any friends. Like, at all. He talks to Dustin, but the kid is literally like fourteen years old, it doesn’t really count. He loves him, of course, like the little brother he always wanted, but  _ friends _ implies someone his own age, and in that department, he is severely lacking.

That’s where Billy Hargrove enters the scene. Steve wouldn’t call Hargrove a friend, either, but he’s the closest he has right now. Ex-enemies might be a better word for it. They don’t fight anymore, really, but it’s not like they _hang_ _out_. They banter sometimes, when all the other guys are gone from the locker room after basketball. 

Hargrove’s eyes shine, sometimes, and yes, Steve realizes that noticing this is pretty gay. Steve has come to terms with a lot of things since his breakup with Nancy, and one of those things is his newfound bisexuality (honestly, that had less to do with the breakup and more to do with the fact that guys are fucking hot). 

So, yeah, maybe Steve is a little attracted to Hargrove - so what? It doesn’t mean anything, it’s just a thing. He can’t help it. 

But okay - then Hargrove starts almost smiling at him sometimes, kind of like he wasn’t thinking about it and it just accidentally happened, or like he wasn’t smiling at all, he just had an itch on his face. Steve is probably almost definitely reading into things.

Steve starts calling him  _ Billy _ in his head, and that’s when he knows he’s fucked. He tries to branch out and actually make some goddamned friends, for a change, but nobody really cares. He approaches them, and they just make polite conversation until he leaves. Some of them even ask why he isn’t with Billy, which just makes him uncomfortable, so he leaves even faster. 

It doesn’t help that he and Billy stay in the locker room even longer these days. That’s how it all really begins.

Steve strips out of his gym clothes lazily, still a little out of breath from having to practically fight Billy for the basketball. He positions himself under the shower head and turns it on hot, letting the steaming water cascade over him. 

Other guys file in, choosing their own showers, inexplicably leaving the shower to Steve’s right open. It’s where Billy always goes. Steve wishes that he wanted someone else to take that shower, but also. Billy. Yeah. 

So Billy walks to his usual showering place and is quiet for a few minutes while everyone showers. Other guys laugh and joke around, as they always do, and Steve is quiet, as he tends to be these days. 

“Kicked your ass out there, Princess,” Billy says to Steve, a hint of malice in his tone despite the fact that their feud has been less-than-angry as of late. Billy just likes to taunt, Steve knows.

Steve rolls his eyes, tries not to smile.  _ Remember, you’re not friends. _ “We’ve been over this. It’s the same every day. You kick my ass on the court, then remind me in the showers. Don’t you get tired?” 

Steve’s own tone is jokingly exasperated. Anyone who actually paid attention could see that he honestly genuinely enjoys this exchange that the two of them have. 

“Tired of teasing you?” Billy replies in that same voice as before - confident, cocky, asshole-y. Steve kind of likes it. Billy crudely chuckles. “Nah.” 

Steve raises an eyebrow, washing himself off. “I’m starting to think you just want an excuse to talk to me,” he says, testing his boundaries. He knows he’s flirting, but honestly, he just doesn’t fucking care. He’s got no reputation to uphold anymore. Who cares if the whole locker room finds out about his crush on Billy Hargrove? He’s been through too much to still put energy toward pretending. 

Billy doesn’t answer, which is both relieving and annoying. The other guys start turning off their showers and drying off, slipping into their clothes and leaving. As usual, Steve and Billy are the last ones in the room, water still running. 

Billy turns his shower off and doesn’t quite move to leave. Steve acts as if he doesn’t notice. 

Billy just looks at him for a second, seeming to just consider his existence. Then Billy grabs his towel, balling it up in his fists. He nods, just barely. “Maybe so,” he says, and the sound of his voice makes Steve turn to look at him. 

Their eyes meet for a split second before Billy moves toward him, and some twisted part of Steve’s mind is thinking that they’re going to kiss. 

But Billy just cuts right in front of him, right through the stream of his shower, gently forcing Steve backward. They don’t touch, but Steve can still feel the heat from Billy’s body being so close to his as he watches Billy wrap the towel around his waist (how did it not get wet from the shower) and go to put his clothes on.

Steve tries to breathe.

 

***

 

Billy is the cause of a few wet dreams, if Steve is being honest. He tries to ignore them, mostly because he doesn’t want to get attached to this idea, but they’re not hurting anything but his heart as of yet, and he understands those risks, so what’s the harm?

Yes, Steve Harrington has a crush on Billy Hargrove, a previously determined monster. But listen - Billy isn’t as terrible as he used to be. 

When Steve goes to pick up Dustin from their little D&D parties, Billy is there picking up Max, and he isn’t terrible anymore. He doesn’t scream of Max is a few minutes late, and he’s even been relatively polite with Lucas and the others. Dustin has even mentioned seeing Billy around with Max, saying that he’s gotten much more tolerable.

Steve doesn’t know what changed, but he’s glad it did. Like, he’d still probably have a crush on him even if he were still terrible, because he’s garbage, but at least now he doesn’t have to feel bad about it. 

Steve is actually on his way to pick Dustin up again tonight, and he expects that Billy will be there to get Max. 

Sure enough, he pulls into the Byers’ driveway right behind Billy’s Camaro, Billy himself leaning on the driver’s side door. A cigarette is carelessly hanging from his lips, hands in the pockets of those jeans that are just way too tight (Steve’s not, like, complaining). 

Steve puts his car in park and turns off the ignition, climbing out and planting his feet on the gravel. He tries to quickly prepare himself for the upcoming interaction. He and Billy haven’t actually spoken since the incident in the shower, and that’s really all Steve has been able to think about. 

Billy looks over at him coolly as he shuts his door and walks over, trying to swing his hips in the confident way that Billy does. He probably looks like an idiot. Whatever.

Billy gives him this cool little nod when he gets beside him. It’s just barely getting dark out now, the sky glowing a pretty pink color, giving Billy’s curly hair a strawberry tint. Steve subconsciously fixes his own hair. 

“Harrington,” Billy greets, cigarette still between his lips. “Fancy seein’ you here.” 

Steve nods sarcastically, “Oh yeah, shocking. Say, haven’t I seen you here before?” 

Billy gives him a long look. “You’re an ass, you know that?”

“Me?” Steve questions, sarcastically again. “I’m an ass? Gee, I wish you would have told me sooner, Billy.” 

“Cigarette?” Billy offers as he pulls a lighter from those tight jeans (no, Steve is  _ not _ staring). 

Steve doesn’t actually smoke, but he says, “Sure,” anyway. He expects Billy to pull out a pack of cigarettes and hand him his own, but he doesn’t. He just lights up the one in his mouth, takes a long drag, and then holds it out under Steve’s nose. 

Steve swallows quickly and takes the cigarette from Billy’s fingers, their skin brushing briefly. The quick connection feels hotter than the end of the cigarette. 

He puts it between his lips and takes a short drag. He’s smoked before, but he’s never been good at it, which is clearly evident as he starts coughing up a lung.

Billy starts laughing at him and reaches back over to take the cigarette from his fingers, but instead of just taking it, he cups Steve’s entire hand with both of his as he snatches it away, letting his hands linger. Billy is still holding his hand in the air by the time Steve is finished coughing. 

Billy’s laughter becomes a leftover smile as he drops Steve’s hand before either of them can analyze it. “You alright there, Princess?” he taunts, but he’s not being mean. 

Steve narrows his eyes, clearing his throat. “M’fine.” 

“Can’t handle a little smoke?” Billy continues, still grinning. Steve is . . . pretty attracted to him right now, not gonna lie. 

“Just - ahem - just out of practice,” Steve corrects, trying to recover from his embarrassment. Luckily, before Billy can tease him more, the Byers’ front door swings open and Dustin walks out first, still talking and gesturing wildly with his hands. 

Steve chuckles to himself at Dustin’s animated conversational habits as the rest of the kids follow out. Max and Lucas are laughing about something, which Steve thinks is cute, and Mike is shouting wildly about something clearly amazing to El and Will. 

Dustin makes his way to Steve’s car, and Max walks Lucas to his bike before joining her step-brother. 

Max, ever snarky, says, “I thought you didn’t like Steve.” 

Steve knows she’s just trying to catch him either lying or being an asshole, but it still doesn’t feel great. 

Billy looks down at her with raised eyebrows and articulates himself as if he’s talking to a four-year-old child. “Well, little Max-y, that was when Steve was trying to bash my head in with a bat.” 

Steve cuts in, “Hey, let’s not forget the fact that you almost killed me.”

“Almost,” Billy echoes, as if that somehow made it all okay. But Steve isn’t really upset anymore.

“Almost,” Steve repeats, smiling to himself a little. Billy doesn’t smile back, but Steve can see something in his eyes. “Let’s head out, Dustin.” 

Dustin shouts, “Bye, guys!” as he clambers into the passenger side of Steve’s car. 

“See ya ‘round, Billy,” Steve says with one upward nod. 

“See ya ‘round,” Billy says back, and they both turn away to get into their cars. 

When Steve drops into his car, Dustin is giving him a look - one of  _ those looks _ . 

“What?” Steve asks, although he’s pretty sure that Dustin is going to say something about Billy. 

Dustin gives him his sly little smile. “So. You and Max’s brother.” 

Steve starts the car and starts immediately backing up, jerking the car just a little too much. His hands are tight on the steering wheel. “What are you talking about?”

Dustin giggles and shrugs. “Oh, nothing - just the way you were undressing him with your eyes -”

Steve slams on the brakes hard, sending Dustin into a fit of cackling. Steve takes a deep breath, turning around in the driveway to drive out. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Oh, come on,” Dustin laughs, shifting around in his seat. “It’s cool, he was doing it to you, too.” 

Steve pulls out of the driveway and turns onto the road, knuckles nearly white from his grip of the steering wheel. He grinds his teeth as he pointedly  _ does not _ look over at the middle-schooler in his passenger seat, trying to tell him that  _ Billy Hargrove _ is attracted to him. 

But curiosity gets the better of him. 

“He was?”

“I KNEW IT!” Dustin exclaims excitedly, nearly causing Steve to slam the brakes again. Dustin sing-songs, “Steve has a cruuuush!” 

“Steve does not - I do not have a crush!” 

“Steve’s in looooove!” 

“No - no, stop it!” Steve shouts over Dustin’s gleeful laughter. “Don’t make me pull over!” 

Dustin is still cackling as he says, “Oh my god, wait until Max hears -”

“NO!” Steve practically screams, more serious this time. Dustin notices. 

“Geez, man, I was just yankin’ your chain,” Dustin defends, throwing his hands up. The car gets quiet for a minute, Steve trying to collect himself, his hands working the leather on the steering wheel. 

“So you actually like Billy?” Dustin asks, more genuine this time. 

Steve doesn’t answer, but his silence is enough. Dustin nods and turns away, looking at the road in front of them. 

Finally, Dustin says, “Grown-ups are weird.” 

Steve laughs at that. “First of all, we’re not grown-ups. Second of all, what’s so weird about it?”

“Well,” Dustin starts, “us kids - when he like someone, we just tell ‘em. But you and Billy probably won’t ever say anything. Grown-ups wouldn’t be so miserable if they just said the stuff they wanted to say” 

Steve doesn’t answer again, just considering Dustin’s comment. For being so young, the kid knew a lot about life. And he was right - Steve would stop being miserable if he just said something. 

Steve pulled up to Dustin’s house and put the car in park. “You’re right,” he says finally. “You’re smart for a kid.” 

“I’m smart anyway,” Dustin grins. He grabs his backpack and climbs out of the car, shouting, “Thanks, Steve!” as he slams the door and runs up to his house. 

Steve shakes his head. He loves that kid.

 

***

 

Steve wishes that he could say he took Dustin’s in-explicit advice and immediately decided to just spill his feelings to Billy, but he does no such thing. He just contemplates what would happen and then gets a little scared, which, ultimately, is ridiculous, because he has been in several life-threatening situations - this should not make his hands shake. 

In an attempt to stop thinking, just in general, he goes to a party. He should have known this wouldn’t do the trick, but he’s a young, irresponsible adolescent, and he wants his bad decisions. 

He arrives at the party just after dark, and it’s already a little wild. He can smell weed immediately, and music is blaring from somewhere inside the house. He just wants a drink and to sit somewhere on the lawn, honestly. He’s a gentle drunk, and that’s all he wants to be tonight.

So he goes inside and grabs a couple beers, holding them in his hands as he wanders around the house in search of the back door. He finds it and pulls it open to see that it is just as crowded as it was inside. Still, he walks out, weaving his way through other drunk kids until he finds a secluded little space on the side of the house.

No one can see him here, and he can’t see anyone else. It’s pleasant. The music from inside is just dull enough that he can’t make out the words, and the hoots and hollers from the other party-goers are no longer ear-splitting.

He pops the tab on the beer and takes a few big gulps. He honestly never cares for the taste immediately. It makes him cringe a little, but then he gets used to it and takes another gulp or two. Quickly, the can is emptied, and he crushes it and tosses it to the side, picking up the other one, intending to nurse it more slowly.

He opens it and sips, leaning his head against the paneling of the house. His legs stretch out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. The songs keep changing, and he doesn’t know any of them, but he feels oddly peaceful right now.

And then Billy comes around the corner.

“Harrington!” he practically shouts. “I thought I saw you here earlier!” 

Steve, of course, likes Billy, but right now, he doesn’t really want the emotional turmoil that accompanies his presence.

“What is it, Hargrove?” 

Billy, beer in hand, saunters over to where Steve is sitting and drops down beside him, their sides practically pressed up against each other. 

“Just seein’ what’s happenin’ over here that you’re so interested in,” Billy replies, taking a swig of his beer.

“Nothing is happening over here,” Steve says. “That’s why it’s so nice.” 

Steve isn’t as annoyed as he sounds. He’s actually relishing the feeling of Billy’s shoulder up against his, Billy’s knee pressed against his thigh. 

“I thought you used to be king,” Billy teases, nudging him. “Don’t kings like parties?” 

Steve shrugs, drinking more of his beer. “You said it yourself -  _ used to _ .” 

Billy seems to consider him for a moment, unabashedly watching him. Steve doesn’t make eye contact. Finally, Billy nods. “Party sucks anyway. Music is shit.” 

“That’s something I can agree on,” Steve chuckles. 

Billy holds up his beer can and says, “To shitty parties.” 

Steve eyes him for a second before chuckling again. “To shitty parties.” 

They clink their cans together, making a sloshing metal sound, and then take a swig. They finish drinking and realize that they’re still looking at each other. Steve can see it in Billy’s eyes, the thing that Dustin had mentioned in the car. That  _ look _ . It wasn’t necessarily “undressing him with his eyes,” but it was definitely a look. 

Steve really wants to kiss him. He wants to know what it would be like, and he thinks Billy is thinking the same thing. 

Except Billy says, “I’m not a faggot.” 

Steve is shook by the statement. That wasn’t what he was expecting at all. Honestly, he’s a little offended, too. 

“What?”

“I’m not a faggot,” Billy repeats. He seems distressed by what he’s saying, though, so Steve doesn’t punch him in the face yet, despite how much he wants to. 

“What are you saying?” Steve asks defensively. 

“I don’t know,” Billy says, and Steve thinks that might be the first time he’s actually been truly honest since the day they met. 

Steve doesn’t know what to say, and clearly, neither does Billy, so they just stare at each other for a minute, not knowing what to do next, except Steve knows that he still really wants to kiss him, and he thinks that Billy really wants that too. 

So he decides to lean forward. There’s not much room between them anyway, and it just takes a moment for their breaths to start getting mixed up together. Steve can tell that Billy knows what’s clearly about to happen, and he looks a little afraid, so Steve stops.

He closes his mouth and starts to lean away, back off from the situation -

And then Billy is practically on top of him, their lips crashing together in a frenzy. They both drop their beers on the grass. Steve can’t believe what’s actually happening, but he takes advantage of it; his hands travel to Billy’s neck and hold onto him. Their lips move in tandem, rough and unsure and out of control.

Billy rolls on top of Steve, straddling him and taking Steve’s head in his hands, almost gently. Their breathing is heavy, and Steve rests his hands on Billy’s hips, holding him tightly. 

Then Billy pulls away suddenly, as if he’s just remembered what he’s actually doing. He seems shocked by his own actions, but something keeps him there, close to Steve, hands on either side of his face. 

Neither one of them is breathing properly, but Steve also can’t comprehend anything except the weight of Billy in his lap, so breathing isn’t his top concern. He just knows that whatever just happened was amazing and exactly what he had been craving this whole time. 

“Damn,” he breathes, staring right into Billy’s eyes. 

Billy visibly relaxes at how calm Steve seems in regards to the whole situation. “Yeah, damn,” he says, trying to gather himself, but then adds, “You kiss like a girl.” 

And then Steve is laughing out loud, shoving Billy off his lap. Billy starts cackling too, and Steve grabs one of the beers, probably not his, and downs it in one gulp. “Screw you, Hargrove,” he says, and goes in for another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> aye! this was my first fic for Stranger Things! i just finished the series a couple days ago and i'm in love once more. i started to kind of get attached to this ship during that shower scene in the locker room. you know the one. the tension in that little corner was ripe. 
> 
> anyway, this was supposed to just be a quick little drabble, but i got a little carried away. oh well. let me know what you think! 
> 
> thank you for reading!!
> 
> shameless self promo:  
> snapchat: avory0  
> tumblr: a-lexnb  
> insta: a.lexnb  
> youtube: kalex w


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